Fan Freedom Project Warns Consumers of Ticket Buying Pitfalls

SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco 49ers have gone to the Super Bowl five times– and they’ve never lost. This Sunday, the Bay Area hopefuls will play their hearts out for a chance at number six. Meanwhile, fans are on a hunt of their own, hoping to snag a Super Bowl ticket to watch them clinch that victory.

Tickets for the much anticipated match up went quickly and sky rocketed to double the face value soon after leaving the box office. While many die hard 49ers fans are willing to shell out the cash –that purchase could also be a major disappointment according to new tips from the Fan Freedom Project (FFP).

“As always, the Super Bowl excitement starts early and spreads an infectious spirit up to game time. While many fans are eager to share in this occasion with their favorite players, ticket buyers need to watch closely and make sure they know exactly what they are purchasing and from whom,” said FFP Consumer Advocate Elizabeth Owen.
Those that bleed red and gold have been reportedly paying an average $3,724 per seat for tickets to Sunday’s championship game in New Orleans, compared to Ravens fans’ average $3,607 per ticket, according to recent analysis.

“As fans we should have the right to be able to give away or resell our tickets if plans change at the last minute,” said Linda Sherry, Director of National Priorities at Consumer Action. “It is important to keep those fan friendly practices intact and advise buyers to use extra caution during times of high consumer risk like the Super Bowl.”

“The last thing we want to happen is someone buying a ticket to the big game only to find out they ended up with fake tickets or different tickets than were advertised,” said Owen.

The 49ers are now in Superdome territory but before fans attempt to make their Super Bowl XLVII trek to help consumers avoid purchasing fraudulent tickets or even genuine tickets that aren’t transferable, FFP advises consumers to:

1. Be prepared to pay additional fees: Unlike airline fares, now required by law to include all taxes and additional fees in the advertised price of a ticket, concert and sporting events tickets are not required to include fees upfront, leaving many consumers shocked at the final price of a ticket.

2. Use reliable sellers: Beware of fly-by-night ticket sellers. If you’re unsure about a company, check with the Better Business Bureau. If you’re buying from a ticket broker, make sure they are members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, whose Code of Ethics requires members to adhere to basic consumer protections.

3. Pay attention to URLs: Check any website’s URL to ensure that you don’t get duped by an imposter. Remember, even if a website looks like the official site, it may be bogus.

4. Check your ticket vendor’s guarantee policy: For example, websites like Stub Hub, TicketsNow, Ace Tickets and All-Shows guarantee every ticket sold on their sites and will replace them or refund money to consumers if they receive wrong or invalid tickets, or if an event is cancelled. Craigslist and other online classifieds sites do not offer such guarantees; it’s “buyer beware” when shopping there.

5. Buy with a credit card: Regardless of where you buy tickets, be sure to use a credit card so you can dispute any unfair or unauthorized charges. Before entering your credit card information online, be sure the site has “https://” at the beginning of the website address. This means the site is encrypted and safer for use.

###

About The Fan Freedom Project

Launched in February 2011, the Fan Freedom Project is supported by more than 150,000 live-event fans and is backed by leading consumer and business organizations such as the American Conservative Union, National Consumers League, Consumer Action, the Institute for Liberty, and Net Choice. For more information, visit http://www.fanfreedom.org.